Slow and steady won the race for the Gladiators tonight as they recovered from a shaky start and scratched out a hard-earned 8-7 win over a much improved Harrisonburg Blue Streaks team. This was the second game this week in which the Big Red did not take the lead until the final inning, after their first 10 games this season had all been won or lost by substantial margins.
The Streaks, who had lost 11-4 in Greenville earlier this season, came out fired up and chased the RHS starting pitcher in the first inning as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Riverheads recorded the first out fairly quickly but then there was a long lapse before they could record the second. During that time there was a hit batsman, a couple of walks and some solid hitting on the part of the home team.
Riverheads then scored a single tally in the top of the second but H'burg answered it to maintain their four-run cushion. Although the Gladiator bats would eventually earn them the win, it was actually a key defensive play in the bottom of that second inning that swung the momentum toward Riverheads and started them on the comeback trail.
The Streaks had built their 5-1 lead and had the bases loaded with only one out, hoping to blow the game open. But instead of adding to their advantage and perhaps putting the visitors into an even bigger hole, the next batter hit a line drive to the RHS shortstop, who then calmly stepped on second for the unassisted double play to get the Gladiators out of the inning.
They then scored a single run in the top of the third and put up a three-spot in the fourth to tie the game at 5-5. One of those fourth inning runs was scored by senior Bennett Dunlap on a close call at the plate. He would later have a key hit in the Big Red's game-winning seventh inning rally.
After the Gladiators tied things up in the fourth, we had the one and only scoreless inning of the night in the 5th, setting the stage for plenty of action in the final two frames. First the Streaks pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth to delight their crowd and reclaim the lead. That of course meant that RHS, now trailing 6-5, had one final at bat to avoid the upset.
They began their rally with a Brendan Fortune walk. Dunlap, the number two hitter in the Gladiator line up, then found the gap between right and center for a solid double. Henley Dunlap, number 3 both in the line-up and on his jersey, delivered his own key hit and by the time the dust settled, RHS was in front 8-6.
The Streaks however did not go quietly in the home half of the seventh as they put together a couple of hits to score a run. But Brody Phillips, who had delivered the game-winning hit in Monday's 3-2 walk-off squeaker over Staunton, was the man of the hour again as the talented freshman, the third Gladiator of the evening to take the mound, struck out the final Streak batter to preserve the win.
So depending on your perspective the Gladiators are either exciting their fans or worrying them here at the midway point of the season. Those handful of run-rule victories were of course fun, but there is also something to be said for the games that go down to the wire, as these last two have.
The Gladiators are now scheduled, on paper at least, to host Stuarts Draft Friday afternoon to begin the second swing through the Shenandoah District season. However given Friday's dismal weather forecast, I cannot imagine that game actually getting played. In fact I may have overheard some chatter in the stands tonight indicating that a decision to postpone may have already been made.
Speaking of the Gladiator faithful, a respectable number made the 45 minute trip tonight and matched, if not exceeded, the home crowd. Even a handful of former players were spotted in the crowd, because as we know........Once a Gladiator, always a Gladiator.
The Streaks, who had lost 11-4 in Greenville earlier this season, came out fired up and chased the RHS starting pitcher in the first inning as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Riverheads recorded the first out fairly quickly but then there was a long lapse before they could record the second. During that time there was a hit batsman, a couple of walks and some solid hitting on the part of the home team.
Riverheads then scored a single tally in the top of the second but H'burg answered it to maintain their four-run cushion. Although the Gladiator bats would eventually earn them the win, it was actually a key defensive play in the bottom of that second inning that swung the momentum toward Riverheads and started them on the comeback trail.
The Streaks had built their 5-1 lead and had the bases loaded with only one out, hoping to blow the game open. But instead of adding to their advantage and perhaps putting the visitors into an even bigger hole, the next batter hit a line drive to the RHS shortstop, who then calmly stepped on second for the unassisted double play to get the Gladiators out of the inning.
They then scored a single run in the top of the third and put up a three-spot in the fourth to tie the game at 5-5. One of those fourth inning runs was scored by senior Bennett Dunlap on a close call at the plate. He would later have a key hit in the Big Red's game-winning seventh inning rally.
After the Gladiators tied things up in the fourth, we had the one and only scoreless inning of the night in the 5th, setting the stage for plenty of action in the final two frames. First the Streaks pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth to delight their crowd and reclaim the lead. That of course meant that RHS, now trailing 6-5, had one final at bat to avoid the upset.
They began their rally with a Brendan Fortune walk. Dunlap, the number two hitter in the Gladiator line up, then found the gap between right and center for a solid double. Henley Dunlap, number 3 both in the line-up and on his jersey, delivered his own key hit and by the time the dust settled, RHS was in front 8-6.
The Streaks however did not go quietly in the home half of the seventh as they put together a couple of hits to score a run. But Brody Phillips, who had delivered the game-winning hit in Monday's 3-2 walk-off squeaker over Staunton, was the man of the hour again as the talented freshman, the third Gladiator of the evening to take the mound, struck out the final Streak batter to preserve the win.
So depending on your perspective the Gladiators are either exciting their fans or worrying them here at the midway point of the season. Those handful of run-rule victories were of course fun, but there is also something to be said for the games that go down to the wire, as these last two have.
The Gladiators are now scheduled, on paper at least, to host Stuarts Draft Friday afternoon to begin the second swing through the Shenandoah District season. However given Friday's dismal weather forecast, I cannot imagine that game actually getting played. In fact I may have overheard some chatter in the stands tonight indicating that a decision to postpone may have already been made.
Speaking of the Gladiator faithful, a respectable number made the 45 minute trip tonight and matched, if not exceeded, the home crowd. Even a handful of former players were spotted in the crowd, because as we know........Once a Gladiator, always a Gladiator.
